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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. field — farmland
  3. wind — moving air
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. pitch — completely
  6. field — for sport
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. cap — of ice
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. cap — a hat
  12. cap — a lid
  13. board — a committee
  14. deal — to handle
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. wind — moving air
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. field — a subject
  24. board — to get on

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com